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The Chief Shepherd
00:42:07
Pastors are called to shepherd the flock of God. Their character must reflect the humility of Christ, the Chief Shepherd, who laid down His life for His people. Today, Derek Thomas considers the responsibilities of church leaders. Request Derek...
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- [00:00]
Derek Thomas
The chief characteristic of a shepherd, a Jesus like shepherd, is humility, humility willing to deny yourself for the sake of others.
- [00:18]
W. Robert Godfrey
Jesus made the great promise, I will build my church. The gates of hell shall not prevail against it. But who is this church builder? The chief shepherd? And what can we learn from Peter's exhortation in 1 Peter 5 for elders to shepherd the flock of God? This is the Tuesday edition of Renewing youg Mind and we're spending a week featuring messages from Ligonier Ministries 2025 National Conference. Today you'll hear from Ligonier teaching fellow Derek Thomas. In his conference message he will mention John Bunyan's the Pilgrim's Progress and today only we'll send you Dr. Thomas series on the Pilgrim's Progress and unlock the study Gu when you give a donation of any amount@renewingyourmind.org before midnight tonight. Be quick as each day we have a new conference speaker and a new resource offer. Thank you for supporting Renewing youg Mind. Well recorded at Ligonier's national conference in April. Here's Dr. Thomas on the Chief Shepherd.
- [01:25]
Derek Thomas
Turn with me to First Peter 5 and verses 1 through 4 I exhort the elders among you as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed. Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but willingly as God would have you, not for shameful gain, but eagerly, not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory while the grass withers and the flower fades. But the word of our God endures forever. Now I wonder how many times Peter must have thought about shepherding a flock. After all, the last words that Peter heard Jesus say to him following the resurrection was that three fold charge, feed my sheep, feed my lambs, feed my sheep. And perhaps, although it's a Hebrew thing to repeat something in triads, holy, holy, holy is the Lord God of hosts. My guess is that Jesus was reminding Peter of his threefold denial that had occurred just days before, and that the one whom Jesus is charging to feed his sheep, he and other under shepherds is a failed apostle, a weak apostle. Jesus called him Simon when he gave that threefold charge. Not Peter, his old name, Simon, and perhaps a little hint that Peter had been behaving like the old Simon rather than the renewed Peter. This was to be his calling, his task to take Care of Jesus. Precious lambs. Yesterday Dr. Ferguson took you to Matthew 16 and Caesarea Philippi, and the question, who do men say that I am? And there were all kinds of answers. But Peter said, you are the Christ, the son of the living God. And Jesus went on to say, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. It's 20 years since Jesus had uttered those words, and Peter is writing this epistle, maybe more. 25 years. If it's in the early 60s, as some suggest, then 30 years, a generation has gone. And Peter is now in his 60s, perhaps early 60s, and he's writing a letter. We sometimes refer to one Peter and two Peter and other epistles as Catholic epistles. These are epistles that aren't written to any particular church, even though first Peter has written to churches in Pontus and Asia and Cappadocia and other places, what we would now call modern Turkey. Many of them were house churches, and they needed encouragement to weather the storm that Jesus predicted. Regarding those words, that the gates of Hades would not prevail, they will not prevail, but they will avail themselves of an opportunity to do as much damage as is possible to be. And this is a section in which Peter addresses elders. Now, when Paul addresses elders in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus chapter 1, he talks about the qualifications of elders. But Peter is not so much concerned with the qualifications of elders as what do elders do? What is their task? And you may be saying to yourself, well, I'm not an elder, so I can leave and go and have lunch. But wait, you have leadership in your church. How do you pray for them? How do you encourage them? How do you urge them to be godly and Christlike, to undertake their office as under shepherds, reflecting the great shepherd, the chief shepherd of the sheep? This section, well, I hesitate to use the term, but this is a chiasm. It's sandwiched in between what Paul says in chapter 4 and verse 12. Beloved, do not be surprised that the fiery trial, when it comes upon you, to test you, as though something strange were happening to you, the fiery trial. And immediately after this section in verse five of chapter five, likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for God opposes the proud. And then go all the way down to verse 8. Be sober minded, be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. You see the chiasm Suffering, suffering. And sandwiched in between is this section on the role, the task of under shepherds, therefore, or in the niv. So therefore I exhort the elders among you. Paul's missionary journeys had begun in the middle to late 40s, perhaps 15 years before 1 Peter is actually written. And I want to pause before I look at this passage. I want to pause and point out the obvious. Sometimes we miss the obvious. Sometimes we miss what is actually staring you right in the face. That these early churches, young churches, fledgling churches, many of them we might label church plants, some of them had grown significantly. Colossae, Ephesus, Laodicea, Hierapolis, churches in Galatia, Pontus, the ones that Peter is actually addressing in Galatia rather than in Asia. They've grown significantly. But what I want us to see is that they had elders. They had elders. We read that on several occasions in the book of Acts that Paul went about after Peter retreats, after that incident in Antioch when Paul withstood him to his face when he had been eating ham and bacon with his gentile buddies. All of a sudden he retreats. When the men of James come up from Jerusalem, he is sitting with his Jewish buddies. And Paul withstands him to his face. It was a clash of the Titans. And Peter never recovered, I don't think, and disappears for 10 years. He disappears until he pops up in Rome, which is where he is right now. He had been in Ephesus, I think, for a time. And now, as he says in chapter 5 and verse 13, he sends, she who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings. Babylon is code for Rome, what Babylon was to ancient Israel. Rome is to the first century church. She, the church in Rome sends greetings. And Peter is awaiting his execution. And his heart goes out to these churches in Turkey and to the elders in particular, who bear the weight of caring for the souls of those over whom they have charge and responsibilities. And he calls himself a fellow elder. Well, this is Peter. This is the one to whom Jesus had said, you are Peter. And on this rock He's Rocky. Rocky one before Paul was ever on the scene. First 12 chapters of acts. It's all about Peter. He's an apostle, but he calls himself a fellow elder. Now let's look at the passage. And first of all, I want to see their calling, these elders. What is their calling? And he calls them elders. Presbuteros, Presbyterian. The verb in verse two, to shepherd is the verb to exercise oversight, related to the noun episkopos, Bishop. So they are presbyters. But their task is to bishop. It is to shepherd. Some have seen, of course, in the history of the church, different offices. A presbyter and a bishop at different offices. In the reformed community, these two words, presbuteros and episkopos, are seen as synonyms, one defining the office and the other saying what that office is meant to do to bishop, to shepherd the flock of God. Elders are shepherds under shepherds. I grew up on a sheep farm. I vividly have vivid memories of my father in wintertime in Wales, in a snowstorm in January or February, sheep delivered lambs too early, before the snow had gone, and walking up, taking his tractor and going up to the top of the mountain and finding this sheep, often with twins, almost at the point of death because of the cold, and stuffing those lambs in his big overcoat and taking them back down to the kitchen, the mother following, coming into the kitchen, crying for her babies. And my father would give them some hot milk and forgive me, he would put a teaspoonful of whiskey in it. And it did the trick. Those little tails would start wagging and life would return and they would be invigorated. This was his idea of shepherding the sheep. You remember Paul's great admonition and charge in Miletus, just down the road from Ephesus. I now can say I was there in Ephesus just a few months ago on a Ligonier cruise. What a life. And way down at the coast you could see where Miletus might have been. And as the elders of the church in Ephesus came down to greet him and say farewell to him as he was making his journey to Jerusalem. And Paul realizing the possibility that he would never see them again, which was true. And there's a lot of weeping. Luke was there. He describes it in glorious and vivid detail. And Paul says to these elders in Ephesus, pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Episcopi, bishops, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. That's the charge, to be bishops, to be shepherds of the flock. And Jesus being the great example, the chief shepherd. It's a very biblical expression, isn't it? The patriarchs were shepherds of sheep and goats. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses spent 30 years, 40 years looking after his father in law's sheep. Psalm 23. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his namesake. Even though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Goodness and mercy will follow me. I was present 40 years ago at a church vacation. We were on the Isle of Man between Ireland and the west coasts of north of England. And about 100 of us were there. And there were two speakers. One of the speakers was a man by the name of Douglas macmillan. And Douglas macmillan had been converted late in life. He was a shepherd, big man, rough, big hands. And converted in his 50s, went to college, got a degree, went to seminary, graduated and became a minister in the Free Church of Scotland. He wrote a book on the 23rd Psalm. But at that church vacation, he gave some addresses on Psalm 23. And I will never forget that he said he had two dogs. Some of you know how much I love dogs. And two sheeps are border collies. You, you have watched them on YouTube. And the shepherd whistles and off the dogs will go, and they will bring those sheep down. This is a different form of shepherding to Middle Eastern shepherding, where the shepherd goes before the sheep and the sheep follow him. But do you know what his dogs, his two dogs were called? Goodness and mercy. And they followed him all the days of his life. I think of that melancholy Psalm, Psalm 77, written by that melancholic Asaph. And the gist of the psalm is, I tried prayer, but it didn't work. But it ends, you led your people like a flock. By the hands of Moses and Aaron, you led your people. God the shepherd led his people like a flock. There are great passages in the old testament. Jeremiah 23, Ezekiel 34, Isaiah 40, the Lord will come with might like a shepherd. He will lead his flock. There were shepherds at the birth of Jesus. I don't think that was unintentional. There's a New Testament scholar, Joachim Jeremias, who wrote a book, Jerusalem in the time of Jesus. And he has a section in that book on shepherds in the first century. And shepherds were on the lowest rung of the social ladder. They were thought to be thieves and robbers. But it's so like God, isn't it? To send to his incarnate Son those who are on the lowest rung of the social ladder to greet the coming of Messiah and the birth of the Lord Jesus. Do you remember that passage in Matthew 9 after the preaching up in Galilee, that when he saw the crowds, he felt compassion for them because they were distressed and downcast like sheep without a shepherd. And what did he say in the tenth chapter of John? I am the good shepherd. He's the door of the sheep, providing protection and pasture, not a hireling, but he's the good shepherd willing to lay down his life for the welfare of his sheep. The chief characteristic of a shepherd, a Jesus like shepherd, is humility. Humility willing to deny yourself for the sake of others. Let this mind be in you, Elders, pastors, Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but emptied himself and took the form of a servant and humbled himself even to the point of death. Let that mind be in you. Well, let's look at this passage again, shall we? And in the second place, I want to see their disposition. And there are three contrasts. The first is watch not under compulsion, but willingly and voluntarily, as God would have you. Not just a duty, not to see your task simply as a role that you have to play a profession. Not to view the task of eldership and shepherding as something of a burden that is forced upon you. You leaders, elders, keep watch, the writer of Hebrews says, over your souls, as those who will give account, let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you. I've been in ministry for over 50 years. I've just retired. I've retired from some aspects of ministry, and too often I saw elders who met in a room that looked like a boardroom. In my last charge, a very large boardroom with at least 60 people in the room. And it felt like and looked like a board meeting where decisions were made. And those are necessary. There are things that elders need to talk about and make decisions about as they care for the flock of God. But there's more to being a shepherd than attending a session meeting. There's that phone call to encourage. There's that little note that you send, or an email or a text message, or even a knock on the door or a hospital visit, or a word to fellow elders to encourage them, or a word to the pastor at the door. I can't tell you how encouraging it has been in 50 years of ministry to occasionally have somebody say something at the door that was positive and encouraging rather than correcting, not under compulsion. Oh, fellow elders in the room today. What a privilege God has bestowed upon you to be an under shepherd of the great, shepherd of the sheep, to care for the flock of God over which God has made you overseers. What a privilege. You may be the chairman and CEO of a multi billion dollar company. I hope there are some in this room who are giving generously to Ligonier. But being an under shepherd is a greater privilege and a greater privilege secondly, not for profit, but eagerly. And I think Peter is thinking about greed and maybe not financial profit. Hard to put that in the context of the early 60s in what are fledgling churches that that ministers and elders who are being paid full time were doing it out of greed. Perhaps Peter has something else in mind. Greed for honor, greed for privilege. They call you reverent if you're a minister. Fame, notoriety, celebrity, and all of a sudden you think you're invincible. And before you know it you can fall in love with the attention and you're just inches away from a fall. Not by thirdly, not by domineering, but by being examples. Servants, not bosses, Ministers, not executives. I sometimes ask myself, did Jesus have a life verse? I've been asked this question many times, do I have a life verse? And I really don't. But I made one up. It was the text I read just before I got saved. Come unto me all ye that are weary and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light. But I often wonder if Jesus had a life verse. And if he did, I think it's this one in Mark, chapter 10, that the son of man came not to be served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many. And there are all kinds of allusions to Daniel chapter 7 and Isaiah 53, and a passage in Exodus in the background of this verse. But I came not to be served. He had the right to be served because he. He was the Son of Man, a divine title in Daniel, chapter seven. But I came to serve that elders, like deacons, serve well. Thirdly, their expectation. And Peter has a. Has a now and a not yet moment now sandwiched in between the trial and the pain and the difficulty and the hostility and Satan prowling about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. In this chiastic structure, Peter has a not yet moment. Now you're in a world where Satan prowls about and you need to take care of the lambs, and some of them have been hurt, and some of them need to be picked up and stuffed inside that coat and given a bottle of milk to see those tails beginning to wag again. Maybe not the Scotch, but when the chief shepherd appears, the one to whom you look by way of an example of how to minister, to give and to give and to give and to give and to give and to give, and it's exhausting and it's difficult. But when the chief shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. That crown of glory is there right now. There is a moment in Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress. Of course, I would speak about Bunyan's Pilaryn's progress, but this is not part one. This is part two, the story of Christiana and the four children. And when she comes, when Mrs. Christian Christiana comes to Interpreter's house, she is given a sight of a man who has a muckrech, and he's shoveling the muck, and he's dejected and sorrowful. And down and above his head, if only he would look up, is a crown of gold. It's a beautiful moment in Pilgrim's Progress. And that's something that all of us, not just elders, but all of us, are prone to forget. We forget that there's a crown of gold above our heads, that in Christ we have been declared as righteous, as he is righteous. And he intends to bring us all the way home. And when he appears, he will give us that crown of gold. Peter had seen him depart. He was there when Jesus ascended. But he talked about coming back soon. Soon. And when he comes, there will be glory. When he comes, judgment will occur. And the righteous will be at his left and the unrighteous at his right, and they will be cast into outer darkness. But he will come for his sheep and those who have been under shepherds of the great shepherd, the chief shepherd of the sheep, the There's a crown of glory awaiting right now. There are trials. Some of you might have come to this conference to get away from the trials, and it might prove to be a wonderful few days of respite and blessing. But when you go back, you'll go back to those trials and the weight of them and the burden of them. And Peter is saying to you, listen, my friend, ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with energy and zeal and compassion and Christ likeness. I did a little bit of reading about sheep, and there is a book written by an Australian. His name is Godfrey Bowen, he may be a New Zealander when I think about it, but he is from down there somewhere and he wrote a book about sheep. It's a very good book. I recall at some point John MacArthur encouraging you to read this book about sheep. It's a little paperback. It's got pictures in it of sheep, different kinds of sheep. And one of the comments that he made, he was an expert on sheep, is that sheep do not have an inbuilt instinct to return home. That when they stray into different valleys three or four valleys away, they can't get back to ground zero. My sister and I, she lives in Wales, and my sister and I have been watching on YouTube over the last month or so two ospreys called Idris and Talon. Those are Welsh names. And then quite near Aberystwyth where the. And in the YouTube you can obviously see the train from Chynlith to Aberystwyth. You can see the train passing. Every now and then they partner for life. And when they leave, they go to Africa. But they don't go together. They go to separate places in Africa. And then they return within days of each other. They return to exactly the same spot. Astonishing. And those who were watching, back in February, when they returned, the estimated return date was February 11th. And sure enough, February 11th, this Osprey landed on the nest and started working on the twigs and so on. But sheep, sheep wander. They go astray. And Peter is saying, keep on keeping on. That was Martyn Lloyd Jones way of ending his letters. Keep on keeping on. Remember that they're not your sheep, they're his. They are not your lambs, they are his. He bought them with his own blood and not one of them will be lost. I exhort you, the elders that are among you, as a fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed. Shepherd the flock of God that is among you. Be shepherds and may the Lord bless you. All you shepherds out there and pray for your shepherds.
- [39:30]
W. Robert Godfrey
Such an important reminder to close today's message on Renewing youg Mind. Pray for your pastors and elders and encourage your pastor by letting him know that you're often praying for him and his family. Derek Thomas was our teacher today with a message on the Chief shepherd and Peter's exhortation in 1 Peter 5. Derek Thomas, along with other gifted teachers, will join us next April for Ligonier's 2026 national conference in Orlando, Florida. You can join thousands of other Christians for three days of teaching and warm fellowship when you register@ligonier.org 2026I do hope I'll see you there. You heard Dr. Thomas mention the Pilgrim's Progress today, a book he is well known for teaching on. Well, until midnight tonight we'll send you the DVD set of his series on John Bunyan's classic. Plus unlock the messages and study guide in the free Ligonier app when you give a donation of any amount@renewingyourmind.org or when you call us at 800-435-4343. Your support today enables more teaching like this to be produced and and ensures Renewing youg Mind can be accessed free of charge by countless Christians around the world every single day. Visit renewingyourmind.org or use the link in the podcast Show Notes to donate and you can add Derek Thomas series on the Pilgrim's Progress to your library. But be quick as only hours remain for this offer. We are not alone as we seek to fulfill the Great Commission. Here's a preview of tomorrow's episode.
- [41:13]
Derek Thomas
I'm with you always is an encouraging thing to say. But isn't it somewhat more encouraging to know that Jesus isn't just with us always, he's with us every day. That's the promise here. Wherever you go, all the places you go, I'm with you. And I'm with you as the one who is in control.
- [41:34]
W. Robert Godfrey
W. Robert Godfrey, the chairman of the Ligonier Ministries, will be with us tomorrow, so be sure to join us Wednesday here on Renewing youg Mind.
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Derek Thomas
Sam.